Pagan prisoners have won magic new rights - to keep WANDS for casting spells behind bars.

Warders have been ordered to let them collect and decorate twigs for use in their rituals.

The weird ruling gives the pagans equal standing with other lags who want to follow a religion.

But opposition MPs suspect it's all just a wizard wheeze.

Shadow prisons minister Edward Garnier said: "This sounds like an April Fool's Day joke. But there is genuine concern that prisoners are taking the system for a ride.

"Governors should be discouraged from letting prisoners have sticks." And Tory MP Andrew Turner, who discovered the move, said: "This strikes me as bizarre. A lot of people would be worried about equating paganism with Christianity."

There are estimated to be a million pagans in Britain - 282 of them in jail.

The new prison rules were drawn up with the help of the Pagan Federation.

Justice Reform minister Maria Eagle explained: "Prison service policy is to enable prisoners of different faith traditions - including paganism - to practise their religion.

"Religious artefacts are allowed for relevant faiths within the constraints of good order and discipline. The religious artefacts for pagan prisoners include a flexible twig for a wand."

The People revealed that witches are now allowed two extra days off a year to celebrate pagan festivals.